Method of and means for duplicating



Jan. 3, 1939.

Filed Dec. 13, 1935 A. MARCHEV METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR DUPLICATING 4 Sheets-Sheet l J.-m..3,1939.v A, MARCHEV l Y 2,142,449

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR DUPLICATING Filed Dec. 13, 1935 4 Sheets-SheetZ Jan. 3, 1939. A. MARcHEv METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR DUPLI-CATING Filed Dec. 13,1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 3, 1939. Y A. MARcHEv 2,142,449

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR DUPLICATING Filed Dec. 1s, 19:55 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Jan. r3, 1939 METHOD OF MEANS-FOR DUPLICATING Alfred Marchesi; La Grange, lll., assignor to Ditto,

Incorporated, Chicago, Ill.,

West Virginia a corporation of Application December 13, 1935, Serial No. 54,269 8 Claims. (Cl. 101-132) This invention relates to the art of duplicating and is particularly applicable to that process of duplicating in which a master copy has the data to be transferred formed thereon in re- 5 verse of a suitable ink or carbon and where a copy sheet is pressed against the master sheet after being moistened with a suitable solvent for the ink or carbon on the master sheet so as to transfer the data on the master sheet to the l moistened surface of the copy sheet.

One form of machine to which this invention is particularly applicable is the form in which the master sheet is fixed on a cylindrical drum and in which copy sheets are fed to the drum l by any suitable means such as feed rollers, the

' copy sheets being moistened on one surface by a volatile solvent such as alcohol as they are advanced tothe drum. A machine of this character is disclosed in the application of John W.

Il Hernlund, Serial No. 44,911, vfiled October 14,

1935, for Duplicating machine. The present invention is illustrated in the drawings as applied to the machine shown in the aforesaid application.

i5 The present invention comprises a method of treating the copy sheets as they are applied to the mastersheet whereby a carrier `liquid such as water which is not a solvent of the carbon on the master sheet is first applied to the surface of a copy sheet and thereafter the solvent fluid is applied to the previously moistened surface. It has been found that the moistening of the copy sheet with a suitable moistening liquid before applying the solvent liquid greatly improves the 86 clearness and uniformity of the copies obtained from a master sheet.

The invention also comprises the provision of a machine wherein a copy sheet is first passed between a pair of rollers and moistened with a l carrier liquid that is not a solvent of the carbon on the master and is thereafter in its ad- Vance to the drum passed between a pair of rollers one of which applies a volatile solvent for thecarbon of the master sheet upon the same 45 surface of the copy sheet that received the initial moistening.

'I'he invention also comprises a machine in which supply reservoirs for the carrierv liquid and the volatile solvent liquid are provided, and means 50 driven from the drum which carries the master sheet operates to supply the fluid in the reservoirs to their respective moistening devices in measured amounts.

Other features and advantagesl of the invention will become apparent as the following description progressesreference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein- Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a duplicating machine to which the invention is applied;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view partly broken away of the machine shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 4l is a sectional view taken' on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3,;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the manner of securing a master sheet upon the duplicating drum;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the control means for hurrying the liquid feed;

Fig. 8 is a view of the same mechanism shown in Fig. 7 taken substantially on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

- I0 and I I and rigidly secured thereto are brackets I3 and I4. The bracket I3 provides a support for a drive motor I5. A supporting plate I6, to which the motor I5 is bolted, is secured to the bracket I3. The motor I5 has a drive shaft II upon. which a drive pulley I8 is secured. The drive pulley I8 drives a belt I9 which passes through the bracket I3 and over a pulley 20 which is carried by a cross bar 2 I. The cross bar 2I is pivotally secured to the bracket I3 by means of a bolt 22 and is'connected to a lug 23 on the bracket I4 by means of a bolt 24 riding in an elongated slot 25 in the lug 23. The pulley 20 has a hub 26 which is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 21 that is fixed to the cross bar 2I. The hub 26, also has thereon a second pulley 28. The pulley 28 is connected by means of a belt 29 to a pulley 30 which is rotatable upon astub shaft 3I fixed to the side frame' I0. This stub shaft also has a pinion 32 thereon which meshes with a -gear 33.

'I'he gear 33 is connected to a suitable clutch mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel 34 which is mounted to rotate with the gear 33 upon a drum shaft 35 which carries a cylindrical drum 36. `A pawl (not shown) is provided upon the 'drum 36 and is controlled by the operator to engage the ratchet wheel 34 for causing rotation of the drum 36. The details of this driving connection are shown fully in the application hereinbefore referred to and form no part of theA present invention.

As illustrated in theaforesaid application. a cross bar 31 (see Fig. 3) is connected by means of an arm 38 to a pair of levers 39 and 40 which control the startingand stopping of the drum 36. 'I'he drum 36 has on its periphery a series of openings 4| through which master sheet gripping members 42 (see Figs. 5 and 6) project. These gripping members are operated as\described in the aforesaid application by means of For the purpose of controlling the stroke of the pumps and thus the amount of liquid they pump for each stroke, means has been provided for regulating the operation of the lever 13 so as to limit the downward movement of the pistons such as 61. This means consists of an arm ||8 a shaft 43 mounted in the drum lso that they-- on the lever 13 and an eccentric cam I|9 pivmay be opened to receive a master sheet 45 in the manner indicated in Fig. 6.` The master sheets are guided to the gripping mechanism by a master sheet guide or table 46 which is fixed to the side frames |0 and |I. A copy sheet table 41 is mounted on the side frames I0 and II, and a .receiving tray 48 is mounted upon a stub shaft 49 to receive copy sheets after they have been applied to the drum 36. A pressure roller 50 is supported by a bracket 5| that is pivotally mounted onthe stub shaft 49, it being understood, of course, that there are two of the shafts 49 at opposite sides of the machine.

The structure hereinbefore described is substantially that shown in the prior application hereinbefore referred to, and further description is believed to be superfluous since this structure merely cooperates with the structure to be hereinafter described and which contains the novel features for carrying out the purpose of this invention.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a reservoir 52 located 'adjacent the frame Il. This reservoir extends through an opening in the bracket I3 and is further supported for example by means of brackets 53 and 54 upon the side frame ervoir is divided into two compartments by means of a partition 55, one compartment 56 being used for a volatile solvent for the ink or carbon on the master sheet, and the other compartment 51 being used for a carrier liquid such as water. The compartments are provided with inlet tubes 58 and 59, respectively. A cap 60 is provided for inlet tubes 58, and a cap 6| is provided for inlet tube 59. The caps are pivoted upon a common standard projecting u'p from the reservoir by means of a screw 62. l

Each reservoir has a pump therein. Since the pumps are identical, the structure of only one of them will be described. `The pump in the chamber 56 comprises a cylinder 63 having inlet openings 64 adjacent the bottom of the reservoir 52 and extending down below the reservoir where itis provided with a check valve 65 and an outlet conduit 66. A piston 61 is `mounted in the cylinder 63 and has a piston rod 68 projecting upward through a packing cap 69 at the top of the cylinder 63. A spring 10 tends to urge the piston 61 downwardly to force liquid in the cylinder 63 out through the outlet 66. The piston rod 68 has a head 1| thereon which head is adapted to be engaged by an arm 12 upon a cam lever 13 which is pivoted at 14 upon the side frame member The lever 13 has an upwardly extending arm 15 which carries a roller 16 adapted to engage a cam 11 mounted on the drum shaft 35. Thus, the cam` 11, when the drum 36 is rotating rocks the arm 15 to alternately lift the piston rods 68 and allow the same to drop under the inuence of the spring 10. For each rotation of the drum shaft 85, one a0- As shown best in Fig. 2, the res-A oted by means of a shaft |20 upon the side frame II. The cam ||9 is xed upon ashaft |2| which projects through the side frame I I and has thereon va knurled head |22. A spring |23 surrounds the shaft |2| between the cam ||9 and the side frame A plate |24 underlies the knurled head |22, and this plate and the side frame II are provided with a series of openings indicated at |25 adapted to receive a pin |26 on the head |22. Thus the cam |I9 can be set in anyone of several positions to limit the angular movement of the arm ||8 about its pivot 14 and thus limit the counterclockwise movement of the 1ever 13. The movement of the lever 13 in a counterclockwise direction determines the extent to which the springs 10 can pull their pump pistons 61 downwardly. Y

For hand operation of the pumps, a hand lever 8| is mounted on the side frame I and carries a projection 82 at its inner end for engaging the arm 15 and actuating the lever 13 as will be readily understood. 'Ihe liquids from the two pumps are conducted upwardly by means of a pair of conduits 83 and 84, conduit 83 being connected to the pump in the compartment 51, and the conduit 84 being connected to the pump in the compartment 56. Adjacent the top of the machine, each of the conduits 83 and 84 is provided with a surge chamber. The conduit 83 has a surge chamber 85, and the conduit 84 has a surge chamber 86. The surge chamber 85 has a vent pipe 81 opening to atmosphere, and the chamber 86 has a vent 88 opening to atmosphere. A pair of moistening receptacles 90 and 9| are adapted to receive liquid from the chambers 65 -and 86 through conduits 92 and 93. These moistening receptacles are substantially duplicates and have a common cover 94 which extends over both of them. The two receptacles 90 and 9| are connected together to move as a single unit and are hinged upon 'a perforated pipe 95 (see Fig. 3) which supplies the liquid to the receptacle 90. This pipe 95 is in turn carried by a pair of brackets 96 and 91 which are fixed to bearing blocks 98 and 98' mounted on the side frames I0 and A moistening roller 99 is associated with the receptacle 90 to receive water therefrom, and a moistening roller |00 is associated` with the receptacle 9| to receive a volatile solvent therefrom. The conduit 92 is connected to the perforated pipe 95 by a flexible tubing in a well known manner, and the conduit 93 is connected to a similar perforated pipe |0| extending into and through the receptacle 9|. Cooperating with the moistening roller 99 is a felt roller |02, and cooperating with the moistening roller |60 is a felt roller |03. Suitable absorbent material, as indicated at |04, and suitable moistening felt indicated at |05 is provided in each of the receptacles 90 and 9|. Also, each receptacle is provided with a drain trough as indicated at |06 in receptacle 90 and |01 in receptacle 9|. For the in the usual fashion as will be understood by those skilled in this art.

The moistening rollers 99 and |00 are geared to the drum 36 by suitable gearing shown most clearly in Fig. 4. A gear |09 is fixed to the drum 36 and drives an idler gear ||0 which is mounted on the side frame by means of a suitable stub shaft The idler gear ||0 drives a gear ||2 which is fixed upon the shaft of roller |00. The cooperating felt covered roller |03 associated with roller |00 is driven by friction and not by direct drive. A gear ||3 connects the gear ||2 with a gear ||4 on the shaft of the roller 99 so as to drive this roller in the proper direction and at the proper speed with respect to the drum 36. 'I'he gears |09, ||0, ||2, ||3, and ||4 and the rollers 99 and |00 are so matched that the copy sheets are fed to the drum at a progressively increasing speed, that is, roller |00 moves the sheet slightly faster than roller 99, and the drum also moves the sheet slightly faster than roller |00 to prevent wrinlrling of the sheet.

Between the rollers 99 and |00, there is a guide chute, the purpose of which is to prevent, copy sheets from any tendency they may have to curl after they are first moistened. This guide chute is best illustrated in Fig. 5 where it is shown as comprising a lower plate H5 which is in effect an extension of the copy sheet table 41 and which extends across the space between the felt rollers |02k and |03. Overlying the plate ||5 and spaced therefrom is a second guide plate HI.:` which extends between the moistening rollers 99 and |00 and cooperates with the plate ||5 to guide the copy sheets from the rollers 99 and |02 to the rollers |00 and |03.

In operation, a copy sheet ||1 is fed into the machine until it is stopped by engagement with the rollers 99 and |02. However, when the machine is started by actuation of the cross bar 31 to connect the drum 36 to the gear 33 which is continuously driven from the motor, the rollers 99 and |02 will advance the copy sheet ||1. The roller 99 also meistens the top surface of the copy sheet, and the sheet so moistened passes between the plates ||5 and I |6 to the rollers |00 and |03 which have been rotating since the machine started and hence are ready to receive the front edge of the copy sheet. The roller |00 spreads the volatile solvent liquid upon the already vmoistened top surface of the copy sheet, and the copy sheet is then advanced to the pressure roller 50 and the drum 36 which cooperate to press the moistened copy sheet against the master sheet 45.

The volatile solvent used may be of any suitable type. One solvent liquid which has been found to be successful is a liquid composed of seventy-ve per cent `ethyl alcohol which has been denatured and twenty-five per cent of a petroleum solvent having a narrow boiling rangefor example, a boiling range varying from F. to 240 F. This petroleum solvent may be purchased on the market under the trade name of Skelly-Solve. It acts as a diluent on the alcohol and slows up the action of the alcohol solvent so as to produce a somewhat better result.

For a rst moistening liquid, it has been found that ordinary water is very successful in combination with the above described solvent. The copies produced with the double moistening are much improved over those where only a volatile tact with the master sheet.

solvent is used. The results indicate that the carrier liquid insures a more even distribution of the solvent liquid and a more effective dissolving action pon the carbon by the solvent.

The principal ingredient of the solvent liquid, 5

ethyl alcohol, mixes readily with water.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims in which it is the intention to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as possible in view of the prior l5 art.

Havingv thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured'by lLetters Patent is:

1. A method of producing copies from a master 20 sheet having the characters formed thereon of a material which can be transferred to a copy sheet when wetted by a suitable solvent which comprises first wetting the surface of a copy sheet to be applied to said master sheet with a carrier 25 liquid, and thereafter moistening the said wetted surface with a volatile liquid solvent for the material of which said characters are formed, and pressing the moistened surface into intimate con- 2. A method of producing copies from a master sheet having the characters formed thereon of a material which can be transferred to a copy sheet when wetted by a suitable solvent which comprises first wetting the surface of a copy 35 Sheet to be applied to said master sheet with a carrier liquid incapable of dissolving the material of which said characters are formed, and thereafter moistening the said wetted surface with a volatile liquid solvent for the material of which 40 said characters are formed, and pressing the moistened surface into intimate contact with the master sheet.

3. A method of producing copies from a master sheet having the characters formed thereon of a material which can be transferred to a copy sheet when wetted by a suitable solvent which comprises first wetting the surface of a copy sheet to be applied to said master sheet with a carrier liquid, and thereafter moistening the said 50 wettedsurface with a volatile liquid solvent for the material of which said characters are formed, which solvent is readily miscible with the carrier liquid, and pressing the moistened surface into intimate contact with the master sheet.

4. A method of producing copies from a master sheet having the characters formed thereon of a material which can be transferred to a copy sheet when wetted by a suitable solvent which comprises first wetting the surface of a copy sheet 00 to be applied to said master sheet With a carrier liquid, incapable of dissolving the material of which said characters are formed, and thereafter moistening the said wetted surface with a volatile liquid solvent for the material of which said characters are formed, which solvent is readily miscible with the carrier liquid,` and pressing the moistened surface into intimate contact with the master sheet.

5. A method of producing copies from a master 70 sheet having the characters formed thereon of a material which can be transferred to a copy sheet when wetted by a suitable solvent which comprises rst wetting the surface of a copyy sheet to be applied to said master sheet with Changes, therefore, in the construction l0 water, and thereafter moistening the seid wetted surface with e volatile liquid -solvent for the materiel of wlxieh solo charaeters are formed, and

Ieressing the moistenecl surface into intimate Contact with the master sheet.

A method of producing copies from a masiler heet leaving the characters formed thereon of: e muterlal which can be transferred to a copy when wetted by e.V suitable solvent which comprises first wetting the surface of a copy slleet to be ampliati to said master sheet with rre-tert :md thereafter moistenmg the said wetted mariene with e solvent uid comprising: elcohoh md pressing the mostened surface into intimate eontact with the meetei' sheet.

l eupllceinlng machine oomprlsing a rotsttel'zle drum xevlng meente to secure o, master esegue catlng which comprises irst wetting the sheets 'with a. carrier liquid enel then. wetting them with am ink solvent.

ALK MARCMV. 

